Path interference and generation device and method

Abstract

In devices for generating a path of a tool of a processing machine by way of computer simulation, an NC program is created using a generated processing path. The NC program used to be corrected by verification of actually moving the processing machine. In contrast, the disclosed processing path generation device has been constituted to be provided with a means for calculating a closest distance and direction from a relationship of a position and posture between a tool and a work at an arbitrary point upon the processing path; a means for imparting a color determined by the closest distance and the direction calculated at the point upon the processing path; a means for panoramically displaying the color imparted to the work; and a means for correcting the relationship of the a position and posture between the tool and the work on the basis of information from a display device.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A processing path generation method that generates a path of a tool by calculating a positional and attitudinal relationship between a device of an NC processing machine and the tool, and a work through simulation executed by a computer, comprising:
 calculating a closest distance between the tool and the work for each of a plurality of arbitrary points on the tool path; 
 awarding a score to each of the plurality of arbitrary points in accordance with a distance and a direction of the work from the tool based on a result of the calculation; 
 totaling the awarded scores based on the calculation result as a score at a point on the tool path to set a score of the path; 
 repeating the steps of calculating the closest distance, awarding a score, and totaling the scores to set the score of the path for a plurality of patterns each having processing direction of the work and the tool posture changed; and 
 displaying a list of the total scores of the plurality of patterns each having processing direction of the work and the tool posture changed. 
 
     
     
       2. The processing path generation method according to  claim 1 , wherein the tool path selected on the screen on which the list of the total scores for the plurality of patterns each having processing direction of the work and the tool posture changed is set as the tool path for the NC processing machine. 
     
     
       3. The processing path generation method according to  claim 2 , wherein an NC program for the NC processing machine is generated based on the tool path selected on the screen.